Bridge construction



Nov. 19, 1940. w. KENAN 2,221,919

BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1940. w, KENAQ 2,221,919

' mums cous'rnuci'xou Filed Aug. 23,1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 19, 1940. v w KENAN 2,221,919

'BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug.' 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 amen WM Patented Nov. 19, 1940 e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,221,919 BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION Wilder Kenan, San Antonio, Tex.

Application August 23, 1938, Serial No; 226,351

11 Claims. (01. 14-19) This invention relates particularly to a bridge at the same time permitting the essential shiftconstruction of the pipe line type, utilized to ing of the parts involved in the assembly due suspend and support pipe sections which exto changes in temperature and stretching under tend over streams and rivers or spaced earth tensile stress.

6 formations. 1 Other objects will more clearly hereinafter The generally accepted method of transporappear by reference to the accompanying drawtation by pipe lines over rivers and streams and ings forming a part of the specification and analogous formations has been the submergence wherein like characters of reference designate thereof below the stream bed or water way becorresponding parts throughout the several views ing crossed. This method of crossing a river or n Whichstream has proven impractical, expensive and 1 s a Perspective View Showing e u highly unsafe and unsatisfactory, in that such re and arr ngement of parts between two lines when crossing streams and rivers are subtowers.

jected to washout hazards as well as pipe cor- 2 is a S de e e t onrosions, and consequent danger present from 3 is a p D1811 VieW- leakage of material being transported. Fig. 4 is an endelevation of one of the towers The present invention comprehends a strucand P .ture which will suspend a, pipe li e r a, Fig. 5 shows in elevation one of the cantilever stream or river in an economical, safe and ern s connected to the adjac nt tower strucficient manner. ture.

More specifically, the invention comprehends 6 is a p p View 0! the t ev a structure which will resist wind pressure instructure and its connection. duced by lateral or crossed winds and embodies s an ar d transve s section through the use of horizontal stiflening. cables arranged a cantilever hinge Pi 9 upon shiftable cantilever structures and con- 8 is an elevation showing a saddle a nected to the pipe supporting elements by guys a P p Section in Position. so constructed and arranged as to retain such 9 is a P1911 V Of a cable Saddle. wind cables in horizontal parabolic f Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the elements shown The invention further contemplates the supin Figure a porting of the wind cables outwardly from the s- 11 is a sectional ew owi the struc- I A, sides of the main towers and at the outer ends tllre anchoring the Illa-ill and Wind cables,

of steel cantilever trusses attached to each side and or the maintowers, the wind cables being curved Figs 12 d 13 are vertical i ns thr u h a downwardly and inwardly toward the pipe line Figure e a tobesuspended and being braced at points spaced The Structure generally includes the ma 85' from the towers by anchored back stays. supp t s A sup d n sui able pi rs Because of the length changes in the wind B a d e p o w t e later y e t d n cables from temperature contraction and hinged or pivoted wind cantilever trusses or arms pansion and further because of the elastic stretch Extending in p c d e at on from tower to a of the wind cable back stays under tensile stress, tower and at such point in its height as may be 40 it has been round essential to provide for this desirable are the main suppo tin cab es D. whi h relative shifting by means of hinged or pivoted are sufllcintly 'flexed to accommodate the reconnections between the cantilever wind arms qu d e evation of the pipe line E and extend or trusses, the hinges or pivots being illustrated b y nd t e towers to anchors F. The wind ca- 3 in the present disclosure as pintle connections al- 13188 G y extend from the Same anchorage f though any suitable equivalent may be substidesired, and are arranged about the ends of the tuted. pivoted cantilever trusses or arms and then con- 4 The present invention further comprehends verge inwardly toward the pipe in parabolic form a definite relationship between the main susand are so retained by virtue of the connections pension cables which extend over the top of the H which extend upwa y and inwardly o e 50 piers or towers and the wind cables which ex- Sadd es J S ppo t ng. t e P pe linetend between the outer ends of the hinged or First, with reference to the main supporting pivoted cantiler trusses or wind arms, this restructure, best illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be lationship being such as to provide uniform supnoted that the piers B are of suitable size and porting characteristics throughout the span and form, preferably of concrete construction, and

essentially extend into the earth a suitable depth to provide the necessary footing for the towers A. The towers A are illustratedas of metallic form including the uprights I and 2 suitably spaced at each side of the pier B and cross braced by the spaced horizontal beams 3 and diagonals 4, the latter being connected at their intersections in the usual manner. The entire tower structure may be built in any desirable manner of suitable beams or fabricated elements as long as a rigid structure is assembled with ample means for supporting the load to which it is to be subjected, namely, the main supporting cables D and the parts suspended thereby. The towers are positioned at suitable points to obtain the essential footing and their height will be determined by the length of the intervening span.

The lower portion of the tower is provided with the relatively close horizontal cross beams i and 8 substantially braced by the diagonals l which are secured to the beams by the plates 8 as shown.

Extending horizontally from that portion of the tower defined by the horizontals 5 and 6 are the cantilevers C shown in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The form of cantilever illustrated in these figures has proven in practice desirable and such structure embodies the spaced horizontal chords l and H shown as formed of I-beams and arranged with their web horizontal, the upper beam projecting beyond the lower beam and comprising substantially the full length of the cantilever structure. The lower beam is connected to the outer extremity of the upper beam ID by the angular I-beam sections l2 and I4 spliced by the plates at their junctions. The upper beam l0 and the lower I-beam section I are likewise spliced at their junction by the plates l8, and a. cross head I! is fixed at the extremity of each cantilever and suitably braced by the angles l8 arranged as shown. To the cross head I! the cable saddle I9 is bolted, this saddle being of the general type shown in Figures 9 and 10 and including the arcuate cable seat defined by walls 2| positioned intermediate the structure and braced by webs 22. Uprights 23 of suitable construction and diagonals 24 complete each cantilever structure, such. parts being riveted by the use of the plates l5, l6 and II at their Junctions.

The cantilevers are each hinged or pivoted to the uprights 2 of the towers at points, as heretofore stated, substantially defined by the horizontal braces 5 and 6. While the present illustration shows the construction now being described it will be obvious that such arrangement may be varied or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, provided the structure embodied comprehends the requisite strength to support the cooperating parts and to sustain the imposed load. In the illustration, spaced angle plates 26 are arranged transversely of the web of the uprights 2 a distance suflicient to permit the insertion of the reduced inner extremities of the horizontal cantilever parts l0 and II and permit the pivoted swinging movement of this part between the outwardly extending plates. The plates and also the ends of the cantilevers are perforated, the perforations being located to permit their registration and the insertion of the pins 26. Vertical angles 21 are riveted over the plates 25- and the flanges of these vertical angles confine the parts and increase the strength of the assembly.

Saddles 28 are supported at the top of the uprights I and 2 of the pier structures, the saddles being of the general form illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 and including arcuate guideways across which the main supporting cables D extend.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be-noted that the cables D extend from the anchors F, shown in detail in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 and overlie the saddles 28 heretofore mentioned. At points intermediate the towers A the main supporting cables D upon being placed across the saddles 28 assume a catenary form and from these cables a plurality of suspenders 29 are supported and connected at their lower extremities to the ears 30 of the pipe cradle J.

The wind cables G are connected at their extremities to the anchorage F and extend across the saddles ID at the ends of the cantilevers C and are connected to the lower portion 3| of the pipe cradles J as illustrated in Fig. 8 by means of the connections H. The arrangement of these connections H is clearly shown in Fig. 3 and it will be noted that the cables H, when loaded by connection to the cradles J, retain the cables G in parabolic form. Such a formation of the cable G when so connected is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figs. l1, l2 and 13 illustrate one method of anchoring both the main supporting cables and the wind cables, the anchoring embodying the use of reinforced concrete in which are embedded the transverse steel ties 32 about which the adjustable loops 33 forming the extremities of the cables are positioned. Other methods of anchoring the cables may be adapted, it being essential however, that some mode of adjusting the cables be provided. In the present instance the collars 34 are shiitable along the threaded extremities of the loops or U-bolts 33 by virtue of the threaded nuts 35 which engage the threaded extremities oi the arms forming the loops or U-bolts.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the primary elements of-the present structure are comprehended in those portions forming the wind bracing system and illustrated as steel cables placed on either side of the structure to form parabolic curves, the planes of which are horizontal or nearly horizontal. These parabolic curved wind cables are guyed to the suspended structure of the bridge by means of connections forming wind guy suspenders which are attached at one end to the pipe line supporting elements or cradles and at the other end to the wind cables, at each panel point of the bridge through which the lateralwind pressure exerted on the suspended portion of the bridge is transmitted to the wind cables, whereby it is resisted by the tensile strength of the wind cables themselves acting as horizontal suspension cables. The tensile stress so created by wind pressure on the exposed side of the. suspended portion of the structure and induced through the wind guy su"; penders or connections into the wind cables is eventually transferred to the main cable anchorages for proper resistance thereby. In order that the wind cables may be spaced from the sides of each main tower in order to have proper sagor deflection ratio to span length in determining the size and strength of wind cables required for -each design case, and in order that the wind cables may be bent downward and inward and at the same time be supported at these points so they may be caused to intersect the main anchorages for end attachment thereto, the assembly incorporates the hingedly connected cantilever trusses or arms. As heretofore described these arms are attached to the sides of the main towers and extend laterally therefrom about the outer ends of which the cableslpass. The downward and inward bending of the wind cables at the outer ends of the hinged cantilever truss arms results in downward and inward acting forces on the cantilever truss arm ends, which forces are resisted and transferred by the structural elements comprising the truss arms and through their hinged connection with the tower for proper dissipation in these elements of the bridge structure proper. These cantilever truss arms are necessarily hinged or movably connected to the main tower columns because of expension and contraction temperature length changes of the wind cable backstays G and the elastic stretch of the wind cable backstays when stressed by wind pressure stress induced in the wind cables. It will be readily recognized that these hinged cantilever truss arms are an important and vital feature of the entire wind bracing conception.

The exact shape and design of these hinged cantilever truss arms is largely a matter of preference coupled with economics and aesthetics; it is, however, necessary that they'be provided with top and bottom chord structure members which are spaced a maximum distance apart vertically at the main tower column or pier and it is further advisable that they converge together outwardly where they eventually are connected at their outer ends. The top and bottom chords forming the cantilever are connected together for proper structural design between their inner and outer ends by means of lateral structural members, which members divide the length of the hinged cantilever truss wind arms into the desired number of panels of equal or unequal lengths. The inward force exerted by the wind cables on the outer ends of the cantilevers are transmitted through the top and bottom chords thereof back to the main towers through the hinged connection and any and all upward or downward forces induced at the ends of these hinged cantilever arms are likewise resisted and transmitted by the top and bottom chords and the lateral system thereof.

back to the main towers through the hinges- By means of the foregoing a structure is provided which accomplishes the essential wind bracing efliciently and economically for suspension pipe line bridge structures.

What 'I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A bridge construction including spaced towers, pipe line carrier members arranged therebetween, main cables looped over said towers and anchored at points spaced therefrom, cantilever members swingably mounted upon fixed pivots and extending laterally of said towers, said cantilever members including spaced upper and lower chords and intermediate braces, the lower chord at a point intermediate its length extending upwardly for junction with the end portion of the top chord, wind cables connecting the outer ends of said cantilever members, connections between said wind cables and said carrier members, said wind cable connections being so constructed and arranged as to retain said wind cable in substantially horizontal parabolic form at each side of said carrier members, and suspender elements connecting the main cables and carrier members.

2. A bridge structure including spaced towers each being provided with laterally extending cantilevers arranged for swinging movement substantially in a horizontal plane on fixed pivots, main cables extending over the towers and anchored at spaced points, said main cables being flexed intermediate said towers and having downwardly extending suspender elements, a supported structure positioned below and intermediate said main cables and connected to said Suspender ele- 5 ments, wind braces at each side of the supported structure connecting the outer end portions of said cantilevers for movement therewith, said wind braces extending substantially horizontally inwardly and being connected to said supported structure, and means anchoring said wind braces.

3. A bridge construction including spaced towers, horizontally extending cantilever structures. pivotally connected to each side of each of said towers 'and terminating laterally thereof,

main cables connecting the upper portionof towers and arranged in spaced relation,- asup; ported structure extending'wbetween the towers v and suspended by the main cables atspaced points, wind cables. connecting the outer portions g of said pivoted cantilevers for movement therewith, and means connecting the wind cables and supported structure and operating to retain the wind cables in inwardly curved substantially horizontal position.

4. A bridge, structure including spaced towers, carrier members arranged therebetween, spaced main cables looped over-said towers and anchored at points spaced therefrom, cantilever members pivotally mounted upon said towers, wind cables connecting the outer ends of said cantilever members and movable therewith, converging means retaining said wind cables in parabolic form, and suspension means connecting the main cables and carrier members.

5. A bridge structure including spaced towers, 85

cantilevers connected to said towers and horizontally movable on vertical pivots, anchored wind cables engaging the ends of said levers and movable therewith, spaced connecting means between said wind cables forretaining the same in opposed parabolic form, saddles positioned intermediate said spaced connections and forming a part of said connecting means, anchored main cables connecting the upper portions of said towers and flexed therebetween, and suspension elements connecting said main cables and the saddles.

6..A bridge structure including spaced towers, arms extending laterally from the towers and pivotally supported thereby,-. a supported structure interposed between said towers, wind cables extending between and engaging the extremities 01' said arms, connections between the wind cables and supported structure, said connections retaining the wind cables in substantially horizontal position and of parabolical form at each side of the supported structure main supporting means connecting the upper portions oi said towers, and spaced suspension means connectin said main supporting means and said supported 8. A pipe suspension bridge including spaced towers, said towers having lowered strengthened portions, flexible main supporting cables overlying said towers and anchored at their extremities, spaced pipe cradles suspended ,from said main supporting cables intermediate said towers, laterally extending cantilever supporting structures pivoted to the lower strengthened portions of said towers for horizontal swinging movement, wind cables extending between the outer portions of said cantilevers and anchored at their extremities, said wind cables being connected to said cantilevers for movement therewith and spaced connecting means between said wind cables and cradles intermediate the towers suspending said wind cables in horizontal parabolic form.

9. A pipe suspension bridge including spaced towers, each provided with cantilevers hingedly mounted at its lower outer sides, flexed main cables anchored at their extremities extending over said towers above said cantilevers and arranged in horizontal spaced relation, spaced pipe saddles positioned in longitudinal alinement below and intermediate the cables, a suspender connecting the end of each oi said saddles with "the adjacent main cable, horizontal inwardly curved wind braces extending over the end portions of said cantilevers, said wind braces being anchored at their extremities at points spaced from said towers and being fixed to the end portions of said cantilevers for movement therewith, and spaced means connecting the wind braces therewith, said wind-cables extending in sub- 10 stantially transverse parabolic form between said arms and at each side of said supporting elements, connections between said wind-cables and supporting elements, main supporting cables extending between the upper portions of said towl5 ers, connections between the supporting elements and supporting cables, and backstays for said main cables.

11. A bridge structure including spaced towers,

spaced main cables anchored at their extremi- 20 ties and connecting the upper portions of said towers, supporting means extending between the towers, suspenders connecting the main cables and said supporting means, a wind cable arranged at each side of said supporting means, 25

means spacing each wind cable laterally of said support including hinged arms, the inner extremities of said arms being mounted on substantially verticalpivots and the outer portions of said arms being connected to said wind cables 0 to; movement therewith, and spaced means connecting each wind cable with said supporting means.

WILDER. KENAN. 

